Fine adjustment device for watch movement regulator assembly

ABSTRACT

A fine-adjustment device for watch-movement regulatorassemblies, comprising a control organ pivoting on a balance-cock and provided with an eccentric functioning together with a regulator-tail; wherein the control organ comprises a fingerpiece extending towards the regulator axis within a cut-out which is laterally open on one of the sides of the regulator-tail, that the regulator tail is provided with a hub located on a fixed component fastened to the cock and compressed by an adjustable regulator ring surrounding the hub and located at the same level as the control organ, this ring being provided with an arm supporting regulator pin and key or balance-spring boot.

United States Patent [1 1 Zaugg FINE-ADJUSTMENT DEVICE FORWATCH-MOVEMENT REG ULATOR-ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Roland Zaugg,Grenchen,

Switzerland Assignee: A. Schild S.A., Grenchen (Canton of Soleure),Switzerland 1 July 17, 1973 468,032 3/1969 Switzerland 1.58/10) PrimaryExaminerGeorge H. Miller, Jr. Attorney-Richard K. Stevens, Davidson C.Miller et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A fine-adjustment device for watch-movementregulator-assemblies, comprising a control organ pivoting on abalance-cock and provided with an eccentric functioning together with aregulator-tail; wherein the control organ comprises a finger-pieceextending towards the regulator axis within a cut-out which is laterallyopen on one of the-sides of the regulator-tail, that the regulator tailis provided with a hub located on a fixed component fastened to the cockand compressed by an adjustable regulator ring surrounding the hub andlocated at the same level as the control organ, this ring being providedwith an arm supporting regulator pin and key or balance-spring boot.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures FINE-ADJUSTMENT DEVICE FOR WATCH-MOVEMENTREGULATOR-ASSEMBLY The object of the present invention is afineadjustment device for a watch-movement regulatorassembly, comprisinga control organ pivoting on the balance-cock and provided with aneccentric that works in concert with the regulator tail.

Fine-adjustment devices for regulator-assemblies are being used inmechanical watch movements which are so built as to offer very highconstancy. The movement rate, that is, the difference between the actualspeed of rotation of the hands and the speed corresponding to theprecise time is therefore very constant and one may, this beingdesirable, adjust the active length of the balance-spring to such avalue that this rate be very nearly zero. Fine-adjustment devices forregulatorassemblies are meant to easily allow such adjustment on thepart of a watch-repairer.

However, it is also desirable that the components of the fme-adjustmentdevice he as easy to manufacture as possible, that their assembly besimple and the device of small size. Further, devices are known atpresent that may automatically activate a movable organ whichcontrolling the watchs oscillating frequency system, such devicestherefore automatically adjusting the regulator, and it is desirable toachieve a fineadjustrnent device satisfying the conditions listed aboveand that may be activated by known automatic adjustment arrangements.

Generally the control organ of the fme-adjustment devices that may beused in watches is located between the two arms of the regulator tail,and the regulator extends very near the cocks planche or plate. Incertain known embodiments, the balance-cocks planche is provided with ahollow partly located underneath the end of the regulator tail, so thatthe control organ housed in this hollow is partly covered by the twoarms of the regulators tail.

In general, the regulator is made up of two parts, the tail and theregulator proper, which may be adjusted with respect to one another inorder to obtain a prelimi-. nary and coarse adjustment. Duringfine-adjustment, the control organ is rotated so that its eccentriccauses joint rotation of tail and regulator proper. In some of thoseknown devices, the two regulator components and the control organ areheld in place by a movable hair-spring stud support which covers themand provides regulator rotation. Such an arrangement entails threecoaxial pivoting surfaces, the plays of which add up and thus increaselack of precision in the mechanism. Further, as the regulator tail isconnected to the hair-spring support by the eccentrics pivoting peg, anyhair-spring support displacement also entails a regulator-taildisplacement. Further, in order to allow controlling very smallregulator tail motions by means of the eccentric, the latter must beprovided with a relativelylong arm extending beyond the eccentric andaway from the center of the regulator-assembly, thus increasing the sizeof the device. The eccentric not pivoting on the balance-cock alsoconstitutes a drawback when an automatic adjusting device is used.

Therefore the goal of the present invention is to remedy these variousdrawbacks of the known fineadjustment devices for regulator-assemblies,and hence the device according to the invention and of the kindmentioned initially is thus characterized that the control organcomprises a finger extending towards the regulator axis within a cut-outthat opens laterally to wards one of the tail sides, and that theregulator tail is provided with a hub on a fixed component fastened tothe balance-cock and surrounded by and pressed by a regulator ring whichmay be adjusted around the hub and located at the same level as thecontrol organ, this ring being provided with an arm carrying theregulator pin and key or balance-spring boot.

The attached drawing shows an embodiment of the device according to theinvention in the form of an illustration in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line lI--II of FIG. 1.

The drawing shows a balance-cock 1 of a watch movement, which isprovided at the back end with three guiding pins 2 and with an opening 3for accepting a tightening or fastening screw. The planche or plate ofbalance-cock 1 is provided with a circular hole 4 near the cocks thickerpart, and with a second opening 5 at the front end where the bearingbody 6 is mounted which will support the upper end of the balance staff.An annular groove 7 is stamped out in the thicker slice of the cock andcoaxially with bearingbody 6 in order to accept the movable hair-springstud support 8 of which the slit annular part compresses the inner flankof groove 7.

Regulator 9 is made up of two parts: a regulator tail l0 and a regulatorring 11. Tail 10 is a flat, stamped piece with an annular thickening atits front end constituting a hub 12. The inside of hubs opening isslightly like a frustrum and penetrates the upper part of bearing body6, which is also slightly shaped like a frustrum. Hub 12 extendingdownwards from the flat part of tail 10, this flat part extends somedistance above the cocks planche or plate. The regulators annular part 11 also is stamped out as a plane plate with a radial arm supporting keyor balance-spring boot l3 and pin 14 of the regulator. The open ring ofcomponent 11 compresses hub 12 of tail 10 so that by moving it withrespect to tail 10, a coarse adjustment of regulator position ispossible. However, any motion imparted to tail 10 entails that ofannular component 1]. (Tail 10 therefore is used to effect fineadjustment. To that end, it extends towards the cocks rear part and atits own back end is provided with a slit 15 opening rearwards anddirected towards its rotation axis.) The tail is further provided with acut-out opening laterally on one of its sides and bounded on the side ofhub 12 by an edge 17 comprising an arc of a circle along which there aregraduations 17a. The origin of this arc is at a point on the axis ofslit 15 and near its bottom. When the regulator is in the normalposition as shown in the drawing, this point coincides with the axis ofthe cocks opening 4. This is so because the connection between thebalance-cock and the regulator-tail is achieved by means of a controlorgan 18 which is provided with a downwardly projecting pivoting peg 19penetrating into opening 4, with a second upwardly pointing eccentricpeg 20 shifted rearwards with respect to peg l9 and penetrating slit 15,and with a finger-piece 21 which is oriented towards the regulator axisaccording to the line formed by the axes of pegs l9 and 20. This fingerthus extends in the cut-out area 16 and terminates opposite the arcuateedge 17 and graduations 17a. In the direction of height, it is locatedbetween the upper side of the cocks planche or plate and the inner sideof tail 10, while being thicker in the cut-out area of the regulatortail.

Lastly it should be observed that the arcuate edge 17 of the regulatortail is bounded on one side by an edge or lip 22 and on the other by theremainder of the tail that extends longitudinally towards the back end.These two parts of tail 10 are used to limit the displacements ofcontrol organ 18.

The device described offers the advantage of very simple constructionsince all its components may be cut out and stamped. It further allowsswift and easy coarse adjustment by rotating the annular piece 11 withrespect to tail 10, then fine adjustment by means of control finger 18.Further, it is of small or lesser thickness since the control finger 18extends in the regulators cut-out. Also, this cut-out allows access tocontrol finger 18 by means. of a tool and consequently fine adjustmentmay be effected mechanically. Because eccentric is located behind pivot19, graduation 17a tends to move oppositely to the tip of finger 18during this adjustment, so that better indexing of this fingers positionis possible.

Lastly, another factor permitting simplification of both manufacture andassembly consists in the freedom from any screw-requirement and in thefact of the device being properly held by the position of hub 12 on thefrustrum-shaped side of component 6.

What is claimed is:

l. A fine-adjustment device for watch movement regulator assemblies,comprising: a balance cock; a regulator-tail; a control organ pivotingon said balance cock and having an eccentric cooperating with saidregulator-tail, said control organ comprising a finger-piece extendingtoward the axis of said regulator assembly within a cut-out which islaterally open on one side of said regulator-tail; a hub provided onsaid regulator-tail located on a fixed component fastened to saidbalance cock said fixed component having an axis which defines the axisof said regulator assembly; and an adjustable regulator ring surroundingsaid hub and compressing said regulator-tail, said ring being located atthe same level as said control organ, said ring having an arm supportingregulator pin and key or balance-spring boot.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said regulator-tail cut-out islimited on the side of the regulator axis by an arcuately shaped edgehaving graduated markings thereon and which is concave and coaxial withrespect to a pivot of said control organ and located opposite the fingerof said organ.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said regulator-tail isprovided with an open slit at its rear within which is located theeccentric of said control organ.

4. A device according to dependent claim 3, wherein the axis of rotationof said control organ is locatedbetween the axis of said regulatorassembly and said eccentric.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the finger of said controlorgan comprises a thin component near the eccentric, said componentbeing located underneath the regulator-tail and the finger comprises athick component beyond the thin one which is located within theregulator-tail cut-out and which is laterally accessible.

1. A fine-adjustment device for watch movement regulator assemblies,comprising: a balance cock; a regulator-tail; a control organ pivotingon said balance cock and having an eccentric cooperating with saidregulator-tail, said control organ comprising a finger-piece extendingtoward the axis of said regulator assembly within a cut-out which islaterally open on one side of said regulator-tail; a hub provided onsaid regulator-tail located on a fixed component fastened to saidbalance cock said fixed component having an axis which defines the axisof said regulator assembly; and an adjustable regulator ring surroundingsaid hub and compressing said regulator-tail, said ring being located atthe same level as said control organ, said ring having an arm supportingregulator pin and key or balance-spring boot.
 2. A device according toclaim 1, wherein said regulator-tail cut-out is limited on the side ofthe regulator axis by an arcuately shaped edge having graduated markingsthereon and which is concave and coaxial with respect to a pivot of saidcontrol organ and located opposite the finger of said organ.
 3. A deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said regulator-tail is provided with anopen slit at its rear within which is located the eccentric of saidcontrol organ.
 4. A device according to dependent claim 3, wherein theaxis of rotation of said control organ is located between the axis ofsaid regulator assembly and said eccentric.
 5. A device according toclaim 1, wherein the finger of said control organ comprises a thincomponent near the eccentric, said component being located underneaththe regulator-tail and the finger comprises a thick component beyond thethin one which is located within the regulator-tail cut-out and which islaterally accessible.